Citrus reticulata Blanco RUTACEAE

CRC 3851
PI 539525      
VI 198

Source

Received as budwood from Florida, 1962.

Parentage/origins

Clementine mandarin x Orlando tangelo

Rootstocks of accession

Carrizo citrange, C-35 citrange

Season of ripeness at Riverside

November to January

Notes and observations

8/1987, EMN: Budwood has been available in California for several years but it has not become popular.

11/23/1988, EMN: Apparently highly alternate bearing- tree 9 has a very heavy crop while tree 10 has no fruit at all. Good medium sized fruit despite heavy crop. Fruit is round, dark orange rind color. Difficult to peel but sections easily. Juicy, good flavor, somewhat seedy, slight rag. On appearance and flavor, this one should sell.

Description from The Citrus Industry Vol. 1 (1967)

"Fruit medium in size, slightly oblate to subglobose; basal area slightly raised and furrowed; apex evenly rounded or slightly flattened.  Rind thin, leathery, moderately adherent but readily peelable; surface smooth and glossy: color deep yellowish-orange at maturity.  Segments 9 to 10, readily separable; axis large and hollow.  Flesh color orange; tender and melting; juice abundant; flavor rich and sweet.  Seeds numerous and cotyledons light green.  Medium-early in maturity.

Tree not distinctive, nearly thornless; dense foliage comprised of medium-sized, lanceolate leaves.

This new early hybrid variety is one of three (Lee, Osceola, Robinson) resulting from a cross of Clementine mandarin X Orlando tangelo made by Gardner and Bellows of the U.S. Department of Agriculture in Florida in 1942 and released in 1959 (Reece and Gardner, 1959).  Lee is currently under commercial trial in Florida.  Since the parent varieties respond to cross-pollination, it seems likely that the daughter varieties will respond similarly."

Availability

Commercially available in California through the Citrus Clonal Protection Program. Click here to order budwood.

USDA Germplasm Resources Information Network page for Lee mandarin

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